On tap @ the Deschutes Brewery & Public House (Portland, OR) on 9/3/11. 10 oz or so pour served in a balloon goblet.

Pours a deep murky amber, with pretty much no head or retention to speak of. Maybe just a smidge of VERY light spotty foam dots the sides of the glass down by the liquid level. The aroma has a big fruity and tart bouquet on it, with an underlying layer of sugary sweet malt and vanilla (there is maybe a touch of darker chocolate present as well). The edges of the nose have some flavorful green barrel character, along with a touch of light acidity. It does start to show its ABV a bit as this warms, with a whiff of stiff warmth during every other sniff of this.

The taste is sugary feeling malts and sweet vanilla flavor up front, which mingles with a LOT of tart fruit character (cherries in particular). This leads into more tartness towards the backend and additional lingering sugars. There is a light barrel touch on the edges of the profile which pulls into a dry and woody finish. I’m digging the smoothness and integration of the flavors here, as the acidity here or any sourness seems to be kept well in line. Well done. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a mellow crispness to the carbonation that is encapsulated on the sides by more of a sleek chewiness. Unlike the nose, the alcohol here in the body is just fantastically hid, with only the heft of the feel belying just how beefy the overall ABV might be.

This was pretty darn good. Maybe not quite as exciting as the description on the beer menu would indicate; but I really enjoyed the obvious extended aging here, as the flavors were very well integrated into a rich and smooth experience. And man, that big ABV is just beautifully hid. You could really get into trouble quickly after a couple of these.

"This Flanders style brown has time on its side. Aged for 26 months, this blend of 4 Dissident casks, each with a different micro-organism and a small amount of soured black weisse reveals the virtue of patience."

Really nice aromatics focusing on the sour and lactic funk with some wine-like touches, a nice malt backbone, and sour cherry. Tart cherry, up front on the palate with some astringency coming in. A tad hollow in the mid palate. Comes together nicely on the finish with good acidity, and lovely aged character.

Overall a wonderful aged flanders ale based on the Dissident recipe, slightly tweaked. Worth drinking a tulip or two if you're at the pub.